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I read many books and I can always tell
when I'm reading a book whether or not
the person who wrote it really has
experienced what is written oh how easy
it is for us to write books for other
people or preach sermons to other people
and tell them how they should do it
Peter had experienced failure he knew
how to trust the grace of God for success
success
Peter knew what it was to go through
trial and difficulty and then in John
chapter 21 our lord gave Peter another
commission when he restored Peter he
said to him in verse 15.
feed my Lambs in verse 16 feed my sheep
then he repeated it in verse 17 of John
21 feed Shepherd tend my sheep so Peter
when he wrote this letter was fulfilling
a commission given to him to strengthen
the Brethren and to Shepherd the Sheep
that's an interesting comparison we are
sheep all we like sheep have gone astray
we have turned everyone to his own way
and you know we need Shepherds we need
people to guide us and help us at the
end of this letter in chapter 5
Peter talks to the elders and he tells
them to feed the flock of God verse 2
that word feed means to shepherd
shepherd the the flock of God care for
them and this is especially necessary
during these difficult days
Peter saw trouble coming Peter saw a
fiery trial around the corner and he is
strengthening the church and he is
shepherding the flock to encourage them
this is why we're going to study this book
book
because we need strengthening and we
need shepherding
more than anything else today God's
people need strengthening and
shepherding why would anybody want to
make life difficult for a Christian
we don't go around destroying things we
try to tell the truth we work hard we
seek to live lives that are a glory to
God we try to obey the word of God why
would it be that the world would
persecute Christians when Christians are
making such a wonderful contribution to
the world
well in First Peter chapter 1 Peter
describes for us the characteristics of
God's people and when you understand
these characteristics you'll understand
why the world doesn't want us around
First Peter chapter one
verse 1.
Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to the
sojourners or the strangers scattered
throughout pontus galatia Cappadocia
Asia and bithynia
elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father through sanctification of
the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ Grace unto
you and peace be multiplied this is the
area that we would probably call Turkey
this is over in Asia Minor this is the
area where Paul wanted to go but he was
not allowed to go
Paul was prohibited by the holy spirit
of God for ministering in this area acts
16 7.
but Peter was the one who ministered
primarily to the Jewish Believers you'll
recall in Galatians chapter 2 verse 9.
that Peter was set apart to be the
Apostle of the circumcision that is the
Apostle to the Jews Paul was especially
the Apostle to the Gentiles although he
did love the Jewish people and sought to
minister to them so here we have the
Apostle Peter a very special called
servant of God ministering to the people
of God now in this opening word of
greeting the Apostle Peter describes for
us the characteristics of God's people
and when you understand the
characteristics of God's people you'll
understand why the world persecutes us
and does not want us around to begin
with we are a strange people he calls us
strangers that word strangers means
sojourners aliens resident aliens a
temporary residence in this world if
ever you have traveled in another
country you know how that feels to be a
temporary resident I can recall when I
have ministered to various Mission
groups on different Mission Fields how
difficult it is when you don't know the
language here you are standing in the
Customs Department in a foreign country
in an airport and they're speaking a
language you don't understand sometimes
they're eating food in the restaurants
that you've never seen before there are
Customs that you do not really
understand we are resident aliens in
those countries well as far as this
world is concerned this world is not our
home we're just passing through in
chapter 2 verse 11 he writes dearly
beloved I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims and so here we are our
citizenship is In Another Country what
is that country that country is heaven
Philippians chapter 3 and verse 20 we're
told but our citizenship is in heaven in
Luke 10 and verse 20 Jesus said to the
disciples Rejoice because your names are
written in heaven and so the unsaved
crowd thinks we're strange we are
strangers from God's point of view
because our citizenship is up in heaven
we are strangers from the world's point
of view because we don't live the way
they live
and so our citizenship is in heaven our
names are written in heaven our father
is in heaven our Treasures are in heaven
our hope is in heaven our vision is one
day to go to heaven
and all of our joy has to do with Heaven
therefore we're not too interested in
this world except for one thing to use
our opportunity to take others with us
to Heaven I think this is one reason why
the world doesn't like us we don't want
to settle down in this world we are
resident aliens we are pilgrims and
strangers we are only passing through
you see a fugitive is running from home
a vagabond has no home a stranger is
away from home a pilgrim is heading home
and we are pilgrims and strangers we're
away from home but we're heading home
now because we are a strange people
sojourners resident aliens we have
broken with the past
and we're living for the future and we
are unattached in the present
you see the world wants the security of
this world
and people make the statement well it's
as sure as the world I would have you to
know that nothing is more unsure than
the world the world is passing away and
the lust thereof but he that doeth the
will of God abideth forever we are a
strange people pilgrims and strangers
and the world does not want to accept
this or receive us
this is why whenever a Christian does
settle down in the world and get
comfortable that person is welcomed by
the world
you know when lot moved into Sodom it
wasn't long before he became one of the
leaders in Sodom he's sitting at the
gate when the Angels show up which means
he was one of the um one of the elders
one of the Mayors one of the council
members in Sodom and here is lot inside
him but he's not a separated man he
belongs to that Society now he didn't do
what they did and Peter tells us that
lot's righteous Soul was vexed with what
they did
but God had to take lot by the hand and
drag him out of Sodom Abraham had no
problem with Sodom Abraham lived in a
tent he was a pilgrim and a stranger
I noticed something else about God's
people they are scattered Peter an
apostle of Jesus Christ who the
strangers scattered throughout these
various areas over in Asia Minor the
word scattered means dispersed like seeds
seeds
we are a people who are scattered
throughout the world and wherever you go
you're going to find somebody who knows
the Lord Jesus Christ this is because
the gospel is for the whole world and
this is because we want to reach the
whole world with the gospel
and many of these people were where they
were because they had been persecuted
others were there because God planted
them there to bear fruit we are a
scattered people wherever you go you
find Christians I've heard unsaved
people say well I'll be glad when the
day comes there won't be any Christians
around here that day is going to come
one day God will call his people home
and the the world will have exactly what
it wants I read in the Psalms that Egypt
was glad when the Jews finally left
because of all the suffering that Egypt
had gone through because of them
and the Jews were worshiping the true
and living God and the Egyptians were
worshiping idols and the Egyptians were
glad when the Jews were gone well you
and I are strangers who are scattered
throughout this world some of God's
people are in heaven and some are here
on Earth and we're in different parts of
the world you may be listening to me
from a hospital bed wondering why am I
in this Hospital Bedwell God has put you
there he's planted you there this word
scattered means to be scattered like
seed we are spread abroad we are
dispersed like seeds and God plants us
where he wants us that we might bear
fruit don't wish that you were somewhere
else Bloom where you are planted God's
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well we are a scattered people wherever
you go you're going to find the light
shining you're going to find that where
the salt of the earth and sometimes that
salt burns the wounds in this world
where the light of the world God has
scattered us abroad like seed to bear
fruit thirdly we are a chosen people
in verse 2 you have the word elect
in the original Greek manuscript it
actually reads Peter an apostle of Jesus
Christ to the elect sojourners
we are an elect people and did you
notice in verse 2 that all three persons
of the godhead are involved in your salvation
salvation
every once in a while somebody will
write to me and say brother where's me I
don't understand election
well I remember a professor in seminary
saying try to explain election you may
lose your mind but try to explain it
away and you may lose your soul it is in
the Bible did you notice here that God
the father and God the son and God the
Holy Spirit are all involved in your salvation
salvation
elect according to the foreknowledge of
God the Father God the father has chosen us
us
through sanctification of the spirit God
the Holy Spirit has set us apart
unto obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ has
died for us we are chosen by the father
purchased by the son
indwelt by the holy spirit of God now it
takes all three members of the godhead
for you to be saved some people so
emphasize election they forget evangelism
evangelism
and some people so emphasize evangelism
they forget election some are always
talking about the cross and they ignore
the Holy Spirit and some alas say so
much about the Holy Spirit they forget
about the Lord Jesus Christ and the
cross would you notice please that as
far as God the father is concerned you
were saved when he chose you in Christ
before the foundation of the world you
find that in Ephesians chapter 1.
elect according to the foreign knowledge
of God the father now what does
foreknowledge mean does it mean he knew
beforehand who was going to believe well
God knows everything beforehand this
word for knowledge means more than
knowing beforehand it means planning
beforehand the same word is used over in
verse 20 talking about the Lord Jesus
who verily was for ordained before the
foundation of the world now does this
mean that God knew that his son was
going to die
or that God planned that his son was
going to die
this same word is used in Acts chapter 2
in fact Peter is the one who uses it in
his sermon at Pentecost talking about
the Lord Jesus Acts chapter 2 and verse
23. him being delivered by the
determinate Council and foreknowledge of God
God
ye have taken and by Wicked hands have
crucified and slain what does that mean
does it mean that God simply knew that
one day Jesus would die and therefore he
permitted it to happen no it means that
God planned that Jesus would die this is
the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God the death of Jesus
Christ was not something God knew it was
something God planned now your salvation
is not something that God knew it's
something God planned we are elect chosen
chosen
according to what the foreknowledge of
God the father so as far as God the
father is concerned you were saved when
he chose you way in advance chose you to
be in Jesus Christ but don't stop there
because the Holy Spirit has a work to do
through sanctification of the spirit the
holy spirit of God uses the word of God
to accomplish the plan of God as far as
God the father is concerned I was saved
when he chose me in Christ before the
foundation of the world as far as God
the son is concerned I was saved when he
died for me on the cross as far as God
the holy spirit is concerned I was saved
that night I yielded to the spirit's
calling and it took all three to bring
me to Salvation how does the Holy Spirit
work through the word you'll notice in
verse 22.
of First Peter chapter one seeing that
ye have purified your souls in obeying
the truth through the spirit you notice
that the holy spirit of God comes to you
with the truth of the word of God and
reveals to you the salvation of God in
Jesus Christ and then you believe and
you are born again now if you had come
to me the night I was saved and talk to
me about election I would not have known
what you were talking about
but if you come to me and say I want to
talk to you about salvation that's
something else listen to this
second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13
but we are bound to give thanks all we
to God for you Brethren be loved of the
Lord because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to Salvation at the election
through sanctification of the spirit and
belief of the truth you notice that
don't separate election the work of God
the father from the work of God the Holy
Spirit who takes the word of God and
calls you to Salvation And so we are
chosen by the father set apart by the
spirit unto what unto obedience and
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ
Jesus died for us that we might be saved
we are saved through his blood
the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the
cross for us now it takes all three
don't separate one from the other God
the father and God the son and God the
Holy Spirit work together in your
salvation we are an elect chosen people
in fact Peter likes this word call you
notice that when you read first Peter
verse 15 as he who hath called you is Holy
Holy
so be ye holy we're called to be Holy
Chapter 2 Verse 9. but he has called you
out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light
we're called into the light
chapter 2 verse 21 for even here unto
where ye called to follow his steps call
to imitate the Lord Jesus we're called
to inherit a blessing according to
chapter 3 verse 9 and we are called to
eternal glory according to chapter 5 and
verse 10 we are a called chosen elect
people oh what a privilege that is now
the world doesn't like this
the world does not like it because we
say look we're going to heaven we don't
live the way you people live we're we're
a chosen people
the Gentile Nations hated the Jewish
Nation when they said we are a chosen
people chosen by God
well we are Pilgrim people we're
scattered people we're chosen people
we're in obedient people verse 2 tells
us in First Peter chapter 1 unto
obedience obedience is important in this
particular letter
he tells us in verse 14 as obedient
children not fashioning yourselves
according to the former lust in your
ignorance obedient children verse 22
seeing that ye have purified your souls
in obeying the truth through the spirit
this is why the world doesn't like us
because we obey God and the world
disobeys God
chapter 4 verse 4 in which they think
it's strange that you run that with them
to the same excess of Riot speaking evil
of you they think we're crazy why
because we obey the word of God
Peter said we should obey God and not men
men
and all around us is pressure to disobey
the word of God we're an obedient people
and because we're obedient the world
does not like us the world wants us to
run with them to all the foul dirty
things that are going on we say no we're
not interested we're on our way to
heaven we're pilgrims we're strangers we
don't belong here why don't you come
along with us and we'll take you to
Glory as you trust Jesus as your savior
and also also in First Peter chapter 1
and verse 2 that we are an enriched
people Grace unto you and peace be
multiplied we have experienced the grace
of God and in verse 2 he talks about
abundant Mercy now look at this
multiplied Grace
multiplied peace abundant Mercy now I'd
say people don't have this
God in his grace gives me what I don't
deserve and God in his Mercy does not
give me what I do deserve
and Grace is one of the themes of First
Peter the true grace of God we are an
enriched people we've experienced God's
grace we have God's peace according to
His abundant Mercy we've been begotten
again unto a Living Hope what a
thrilling thing it is to be a Christian
and the world doesn't like us because
we're a pilgrim people a scattered
people a chosen people and obedient
people and enriched people but we're
going to be the people of God because he
saved us by his grace we're looking
forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ
Christ
because it's going to be a time of reunion
reunion
the older we get the more we are
separated from those we love and for
those who care for us so much
it seems like the older we get the more
friends we have in heaven than we have
here on Earth it'll be a time of reunion
it'll be a time of redemption we'll have
new bodies glorified bodies that will
exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in their
Radiance and their Glory
or so often we feel the shackles of this
Mortal body of ours so often we feel the burden
burden
of just having a body that that holds us
back or so much we'd like to do well one
day we're going to have a completely
redeemed body
and of course when he returns we're
going to see him and we're going to be
with him and we're going to be like him
father help us to be faithful in the
work you've given us to do and we look
forward to the coming of our Lord Jesus
and our prayer is even so come quickly
Lord Jesus
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