Lord, we thank You for this privilege of coming to Your table and, as a family of God, remembering You and Your death until You come. Lord, what a powerful thing—and what a powerful thing to do in fellowship. In Jesus’ name.
That’s okay, Robin. Sarah, we can wait. At least you’re not like Chinese people—nobody sees them. No Chinese people here anyway.
This morning, I want to share on the Apostle Peter and First Peter. Just as a little outline: number one is the introduction, and number five is a summary. That’s good, right?
Number two is Peter’s background. Number three is, “Who was Peter speaking to?” So that’s P, P; and then the third one is Peter’s message—encouragement to those he was speaking to. So the alliteration is Peter, Peter, and Peter. Does that count, Jim?
Anyway, the last time I spoke was last spring. I shared on Paul and what Paul had to say to the Philippians. If you remember, Paul was at the end of his life, and he was writing to the Philippians, who happened to be his family. He was really close to those Philippians.
So, at the very end of his days, what did he have to say to his family? What do we have to say to our families in the last days? The things Paul said were as much who he was, living his life out before those to whom he was close.
Our testimony is most important—more than the words we speak. So today, we want to look at Peter in his letter, First Peter.
This letter also was written late in Peter’s life. He was writing to those churches he ministered among. So what did he have to say of importance to them?
It struck me, as I was preparing, to compare Peter and Paul: two different people from vastly different backgrounds, vastly different people, but both of them were greatly used by the Lord. God is not a respecter of persons. He’ll use whom He will.
So who was Paul? Paul was high in the ranks of Judaism. He tells us in Philippians:
Although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh.
If anyone else hath a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:
circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
as to zeal, a persecutor of the church;
as to the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
Paul was prominent in the religious world—formalism, organization, that organism. But God caught him.
And who was Peter? He was at the other end of the social spectrum. He was a fisherman. It was hard, physical labor—kind of like Matt and Matz, you know? He was a hard worker. But he didn’t even go to a Christian school. He was just a guy.
But what was it that allowed the Lord to find these two men and use them mightily? They were pillars of what we believe.
The first thing I wanted to say—this is introduction too—is that each one of those men was called. He was called by God.
In Peter’s case, he was looking for the Messiah, someone to deliver his people and deliver the nation from oppression—from the Romans and so forth. So he was looking.
The Lord said to Peter and Andrew, “What do you seek?” They responded, “Rabbi, where are You staying?” They had a seeking heart. And He said, “Come and see.” Come and see.
In Paul’s case, we’re very familiar with his arresting—not an illegal arresting, like police guys, but on the Damascus Road. What a great thing. He was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. Jesus called him.
He saw a great light. The Lord said, “Why are you persecuting Me?” He was doing what he thought was the right thing, and Jesus stopped him in his tracks. Jesus called Paul on the Damascus Road.
So He called both of these men. He called them where they were and who they were. He had a great plan for them.
Do you ever think about the fact that you’re called? We’re told we’re saved—saved by grace, saved to escape hell, right? To have life in eternity. I believe we’re all called, called with a purpose. God has a reason for saving us and calling us.
How many people here think God called them? You are called. God has called us, and He has called us for a purpose.
Each of them was called, and they both responded. Peter, after the Lord said, “Come and see,” came and saw and stayed with Him that day.
How did Paul respond? He went. He couldn’t see, right? They led him to the house of Ananias, and he was willing to go, and his sight was regained.
So they were called, they responded, and they accepted discipline—both of them. They denied their self-life. They were very strong in their own way, but they were willing to deny themselves and be dealt with by the Lord.
The final similarity between the two is that they were faithful—faithful to the end. Wow, they were so big, you know? Think how big Paul was. How huge was Peter at Pentecost? But they remained faithful to the end, and we find them at the end ministering to those they loved. Wonderful, wonderful story.
Well, okay, so that’s the introduction. That’s one. I have to do this because Sharon always bugs me—kind of like Linda always bugs you, Kenny. “I couldn’t follow your outline.” She’s not here, so if anybody wants to give her the outline, I should have printed it off. But anyway.
I’ve always been struck with Peter’s story. That’s one of the reasons I started this. Peter—impetuous, willful Peter.
Think of him denying the Lord and always being out there. Yet that man—the sermon he spoke at Pentecost was like nothing I ever read in the Bible. It was awesome.
Then we see him in First Peter at the end. He had gone from here to here, and then he disappeared, you know, after Acts 15. Where did he go?
Well, we find out that in First Peter he was ministering to the churches. He was tending the lambs that the Lord sent him to tend. He was reaching out to the churches. This great man was greatly used by God.
Remember when he was denying the Lord? Let’s read Matthew 26:69-75. It shows what a condition Peter was in.
Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.”
Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!”And immediately a rooster crowed. Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
And he went out and wept bitterly.
Not an open rebuke, not open discipline, but discipline in the heart. Peter went out and wept bitterly.
What a change when we see what he did at Pentecost in Acts 2. This powerful sermon: Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them:
Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words.
It shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
From shrinking and denying the Lord, he was openly and strongly declaring:
Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—
this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
Weak Peter said, “God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death.” Praise God.
Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.
So obviously Peter was full of the Holy Spirit, and God had found in Peter a vessel He could use to share that message.
Then we see in First Peter that he moved from that strong message to tending the Lord’s lambs and shepherding His sheep. We don’t think about that much, but I think that’s a powerful thing.
What were the things that allowed God to use Peter? First, we said that he was a seeker. Peter was a successful small businessman—very successful, probably wealthy.
I love small-business stories. I just love small-business stories because that’s the heart of this country. People are able to do engineering, make mats, do painting, be mechanics, contractors, dentists. It’s wonderful.
But you know what? He was working hard, but he wasn’t satisfied. Peter was a very successful man, but in his heart that wasn’t enough. I feel like he had to be saying, “There has to be more.” No offense to you small businessmen.
There had to be more. He was a seeker after God. He was looking for the Messiah—perhaps in a political way, maybe not a spiritual way—but he was looking. He knew he wasn’t satisfied.
The question the Lord has for us is: Are we seekers after God, or are we drifters? I’m afraid I drift more than I seek.
The second thing that made Peter usable was that he was in fellowship. How important it is for us to be in fellowship.
They were looking for the Messiah, but there was a whole band of them in Galilee—his brothers, probably his cousins. They were together looking for the Lord. They came and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” Out of fellowship, “We have found the Messiah.”
Then at Pentecost, when he started to speak, what did it say about him standing up? Peter with the eleven. Isn’t that a powerful thing?
When someone stands up here to speak, have they who stand with them? Are there eleven with you? That message that was so powerful was not on his own. Fellowship is important, and we are not to be lone rangers.
And he followed the Lord. These guys followed the Lord. We already talked about that.
There was this forty-day period in Acts where the Lord appeared to them, resurrected before them and not a spirit. They learned to follow Him physically as a man. Then He started weaning them from that, and they followed Him in spirit.
Even though we don’t see Him physically today, we are able to see the Lord and follow Him. He would have us follow Him.
Another thing that certainly allowed Peter to be useful was that he accepted discipline. He was disciplined over an extended period, and he did not reject it or try to escape.
In John 6, we are familiar with this after the message on the bread:
As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”
Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”
So he was accepting that discipline and willing to stay.
Also, he had vision. Peter had vision. In Matthew 16, he expressed that vision. As Paul had a vision on the Damascus Road, there was this discourse between Jesus and the disciples. He said, “Who do men say that I am?” They had all these answers: so-and-so says You are this, and so-and-so says You are that. But He said, “Who do you say that I am?”
We can see Peter’s vision here:
You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
That really qualified him. Jesus said to him:
Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
I think this dialogue, this discourse, followed Peter all his life—the rest of his days: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Okay, number three. Please give that to Sharon. What was the situation of those Peter wrote to?
Who wants to read the very opening of First Peter? Those scattered. First Peter 1. His salutation was to:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit,
to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:
May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.
—1 Peter 1:1-2
These were the churches, and from what I have read, he was ministering among these churches, these assemblies in Asia Minor. These churches were probably under persecution. They were suffering, and more than from the world, they were probably suffering from Christians and Jews.
Think of the place they were in. They were between the two. The Christians probably said, “You aren’t doing right this way because you’re still holding on to some Judaism,” and the Jews thought they were nuts. So they were stuck in the middle of this.
I think it is great that Peter was working among the local assemblies. This man who was used so mightily and powerfully in the early ministry, in his last days was working among local assemblies, building His church.
Remember that vision: “I will build My church”? Peter was about building that church—tending His lambs and shepherding His sheep.
The other things seem wonderful, but this seems wonderful too. At the end of his earthly life, Peter was exercising a ministry of encouraging the saints and building up the body of Christ.
No matter where we minister, how broad our ministry is, or how we can affect different people, it seems like the base of it—the foundation of it—needs to be being involved with the saints on a local basis, building up His house.
Who can quote what Brother Kong always says when he comes back to Richmond? He used to say it: “Thank you for your prayers.” That’s one.
Anybody ever notice that he is determined to take his chair and put the chairs up? He says, “I just want to be a brother. When I’m back in Richmond, I want to be a brother.”
How he values that place, that ministry among the saints. He could say, “I’m back. Now this is what you need to do.” I’ve never heard him do that. He wants to be a brother among the brothers.
What was Peter’s encouragement to these saints? This is number four. We’re getting there.
Let’s read the introduction again, because this in itself is the encouragement to the saints:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit,
to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:
May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
—1 Peter 1:1-3
So if we are under assault, even if it is personal things or worldly things, Peter does not say, “Jerry, I’m really sorry you’re having a big problem. Your life is a big problem, but you just need to get over it.” He does not simply give an answer: “Here’s what you need to do.”
He says, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.” You are strangers and aliens. What a great relief that is—to consider ourselves aliens and strangers. We don’t belong here, so don’t get upset if you’re not too comfortable.
You are chosen by God. We have been chosen—called, chosen. God has chosen us to be His. The sanctifying work of the Spirit: He is working on us.
Finally, he says you are born again to a living hope. His whole idea for them is to remember who you are in Christ, and do not get upset with your conditions.
Being born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead—I remember years ago, when we studied First Peter. How long ago? A long time, years ago.
I was sitting in Maureen B.’s living room, I think that is where it was, and we were studying this passage. I can’t ever get beyond it: You have been born again to a living hope.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We have been born again to a living hope. Because of that resurrection, soundly, totally saved, set apart for God and His purpose.
The second encouragement Peter had for them was hope. He uses the word hope three times. Hope is a powerful, powerful thing when you are living under persecution, when you are frustrated. We are people of hope.
Ephesians, addressing the Gentiles, says, “You were having no hope and without God in the world, but now you have been brought near by the blood of Jesus.” We have a living hope.
Verse 13 says:
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
—1 Peter 1:13
Prepare your minds and fix your hope completely. This hope is an active thing. The New American Standard footnote says, “Gird the loins of your mind.” Hope—gird the loins of your mind; set your mind.
Jeremiah, in the middle of all the negative things, says, “For I know the plans that I have for you”—a future and a hope.
And in 1 Peter 1:20-21, he says:
For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory,
so that your faith and hope are in God.
Don’t give up your hope. Hope in God. If we are a people of hope and give up our hope, we are in trouble.
Peter obviously was not having pity on them because of their circumstances. He was telling them to have hope and remember Jesus Christ.
The third encouragement was that they are living stones. Remember Matthew 16: built up as a house of God.
But who do you say that I am?
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
—Matthew 16:15-18
That early revelation the Lord gave Peter—that the church is built on Christ and our revelation of Christ. It is not Peter, as the Catholics say.
He goes on to expand the encouragement in 1 Peter 2:
Coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
—1 Peter 2:4-5
Further in that chapter:
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession,
so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God;
you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
—1 Peter 2:9-10
Living stones being built into the house of God, and a royal priesthood. How we need to value and appreciate our fellowship.
So if they were discouraged, he was saying, “Remember who you are. You are a royal priesthood. You are a living stone in the house of God.” That would be great encouragement to each one of us.
Another thing he says seems like normal Christian daily living. Live by the faith of God. Live under Christ as we are living with our families and so forth.
The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.Whoever speaks, let him speak as it were the utterances of God;
whoever serves, let him do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;
so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever.
—1 Peter 4:7-11
So we are to be living stones, living as Christians. That would answer so much of the trials and circumstances.
The last thing, I think, is encouragement in the term salvation of our souls. Brother Kong, in the God Has Spoken series, has a message on First Peter, and he basically says the whole message of First Peter is the salvation of our souls.
He is so far beyond me, but this thing of salvation of our souls is not taught. People do not understand it. But we can talk a little bit about it and then wrap things up.
In 1 Peter 1:6-9:
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire,
may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him,
you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
The background here is that we are tripartite, right? We consist of spirit, soul, and body. I think we all know about salvation of our spirits when we are born again. The Spirit of God comes to live in us, and our spirits are brought back to life—spiritual birth.
When you were saved, did you rejoice? Were you rejoicing and quickened in your spirit? We didn’t know we had a spirit, so our spirits are saved.
Also, in the chapter we are going to look at in First Corinthians very soon—1 Corinthians 15—Paul talks much about salvation of our bodies.
So also is the resurrection of the dead.
It is sown a perishable body; it is raised an imperishable body.
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.
It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
—1 Corinthians 15:42-44
So we know our spirits and our bodies are both saved, but we do not think about our souls. The verse I read talks about the sufferings they might experience toward the end of the salvation of their souls.
Our soul is our natural life. It is permeated by me, my, mine, and I—permeated by our natural interests and not God’s.
We think that we have many enemies, and we always stand against them and bind this and bind that. But I think we need to know that our biggest enemy is our natural soul-life. Don’t get upset.
Paul really realized it. At the end of Romans 7, he said:
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Wretched man that I am. He wanted to do right, he knew what was right, and he could not do it. So he said:
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
—Romans 7:24-25
But that transition between Romans 7 and 8—which probably never should have been chapters—says:
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
—Romans 8:2
Our self-life is our biggest problem. God’s instrument in delivering us from self-domination is being distressed by those various trials.
Fénelon says, “A man’s self is his greatest cross.” A man’s self is his greatest cross.
There is a Latin saying—I am reading some of these things from a Tozer book—“Self-praise is no recommendation.”
Self is one of the toughest plants that grows in the garden of life. It is, in fact, indestructible by any human means. Just when we are sure it is dead, it turns up somewhere as robust as ever to trouble our peace and poison the fruit of our lives.
—A. W. Tozer
As we come to this place of experiencing trials, our trials can cause us to be bitter or better, and we can try to avoid suffering.
There are two extremes we go to when we have suffering. The first is that we can do everything possible to avoid any kind of suffering. It is a very popular teaching in Christianity that Christians should not suffer. If you are suffering, there must be something wrong with you.
Of course, that is what Job’s friends told him—the friends that were not friends. “Job, you can admit it. You messed up. You deserve it.”
We spend all of our time trying to avoid suffering. We will avoid the mercy of God to deliver us from ourselves.
We need to draw near to God in trials and gain Christ and become better instead of bitter.
On the other side, we can think that all we should do as Christians is suffer. Suffer.
I think an overemphasis on suffering—suffering that we try to get into ourselves, instead of where the Lord has placed us—is asceticism. Who knows what asceticism is?
Do you know what it is, Linda? Who can define it? Jerry said it is what you take for a headache. That wasn’t what I was thinking of.
Ben knows English stuff. No, he’s not going to do it. Kenny knows English words.
Self-punishment, self-flagellation—the Indian guys who lie on a bed of spikes. Mind over matter. I do not know what it is, but it is suffering for suffering’s sake. Actually, we can be quite strong when we think we can take all this suffering.
Now I am just going to finish by reading several quotes by people we respect greatly on this matter of the salvation of the soul and suffering’s place. The first one comes from Brother Kong.
You will find that self lives in your soul and will not give up, and that is the reason why you have to go through some trials.
Trials, pressure, and sufferings are all measured out by God. They are measured by God in your life for one reason: that your soul-life may decrease, and the spirit-life of Christ may increase in you.Your soul is given to you by God. He is not going to destroy your soul, for were He to destroy your soul, you would no longer be there. Your personality would cease to exist. No, God does not want you to be a soulless person. Instead, He wants to save your soul.
—Brother Kong
Who is familiar with Paul Billheimer and a book called Don’t Waste Your Sorrows? I heard Jerry, because he was closest.
His premise is that through suffering, we become less self-centered and gain agape love, which is the currency of heavenly things. Through giving up our self-life, we gain Christ. The only place we get agape love is by Christ in us.
In the conclusion to his book, Billheimer says:
Remember, you are destined for the throne. God is training you now. Your trials are not an accident. No suffering is purposeless. Your eternal profit is in view. Therefore, don’t waste your sorrows.
—Paul Billheimer
So Brother Kong says trials are measured out by God, and Billheimer says trials are not an accident and no suffering is purposeless.
The last one I want to quote is A. W. Tozer. One of the chapters in one of his books is called “Removing the Self-Life Veil.” His argument is that our self-life will even hinder us from communicating with God, be a veil to us.
His suggestion is that this is the work of God—to remove that self-life veil. Our part is to yield and trust. We must confess, forsake, repudiate the self-life, and then reckon it crucified.
Here is a quote I always remember from Tozer:
Insist that the work be done in very truth, and it will be done. The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective.
It does not keep its victim hanging there forever. There comes a moment when its work is finished and the suffering victim dies.
After that is resurrection glory and power, and the pain is forgotten for joy that the veil is taken away and we have entered into actual spiritual experience in the presence of a living God.
—A. W. Tozer
I love that thought: “It does not keep its victim hanging there forever.” Thank God it does not keep us hanging there forever, but we come through.
All right. That was four. Number five is a summary.
Today, we have looked at Peter in his letter, First Peter, to the churches in Asia Minor. The thing that strikes me is how God used Peter—took this self-willed, boisterous fisherman and turned him into this instrument of God. It was wonderful.
But remember what opened the door for Peter to be used by God. He was a seeker. He was in fellowship. He followed the Lord. He accepted discipline. And he had vision, as quoted in Matthew 16.
Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you.
How important is the body of Christ and being living stones—not rolling stones.
And Peter’s encouragement to the church: they have been saved, soundly saved. What a great salvation they have entered into. They are people of hope.
They are living stones, not rolling stones. They should be living stones, built up in His house.
God was working in them, even through their trials. He was working for the salvation of their souls.
So, Lord, we thank You that You would give us this man Peter, this rough, rough stone, rough man, and that You turned him into Your servant—a living stone himself.
After all he had gone through and so forth, what was he doing? He was being a member of the body of Christ, serving among these assemblies in Asia Minor and giving them a word of encouragement.
In the midst of trials and so forth, he would have a word of encouragement for the local churches. Thank You for that testimony of this man. In Jesus’ name.