Starting Well on the Path to Leadership

Starting Well on the Path to Leadership

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Having addressed the Elders who lead congregations, Peter turns to young men, urging them to submit to the kind of Christlike leadership that he has just been describing. Why does the topic of submission keep coming up when the New Testament speaks to relationships within church, community and family? We discover the importance of submission in character development and preparation for leadership. There is a better way than leaders "lording it over" those they lead and others struggling for control - to get their voice heard and their preferences satisfied. That way is godly leadership and godly submission - both demonstrated perfectly in Jesus Christ. One key to appointing & developing godly leaders is to look out for those who have already developed humility and a willingness to submit to others according to God's will.

Shepherds of God's Flock

Shepherds of God's Flock
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As Peter writes to believers to encourage them to stand firm in their faith despite persecution, he turns to give specific attention to the Elders of these congregations. He knows that people need shepherds, especially when they are suffering. This message examines the concise but powerful guidance Peter gives to Elders, advice which is helpful to anyone in spiritual leadership.

The Tackle

 
The Tackle

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1 Peter 4:12-19

The closer someone follows Jesus, the more at odds they are with the values of the rest of the world. Because the world is corrupted & imperfect, because most people follow their own desires, the clash of values between the world & the disciple can cause pain & suffering. It’s true that sometimes God allows pain for our own correction, but often a disciple will be attacked for living righteously. This proves that you’re doing the right thing, and that you’re being noticed for it.

In sport, they only tackle the guy with the ball.

In Case of Emergency

In Case of Emergency

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Knowing that our time is limited heightens our sense of urgency to spread the Gospel. It’s always an emergency. Jesus said He’d return at a date unknown. In the mean time, our attitude ought to be one of diligent prayer, generous love & hospitality no matter the cost. All that we have belongs to God, for us to wisely use for the blessing of others & the glory of God. Sometimes it hurts to love & to give, but the trick is to not care that it hurts. Jesus didn’t care how much it hurt Him to die for us.

The Reborn Identity

The Reborn Identity

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When a disciple of Jesus chooses to live by God’s standards, rather than the way of the world, others don’t understand. Often those who we used to associate with will try to persuade a Christian to return to an old lifestyle that doesn’t challenge the unbelieving friends & relatives. The good news for the Christian is that they are free to follow the guidance of God’s Spirit, rather than the values of the world. Free to explore a new identity & a new purpose for living.

The Victory of Christ in a World Gone Bad

The Victory of Christ in a World Gone Bad

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As we continue to explore 1 Peter 3 we see how God has woven the themes of the letter together to help us understand how to live in a world which seems increasingly hostile to Him. The closing verses of 1 Peter 3 contain some things which are hard to understand with certainty, yet they serve an overall message which is clear and important. 

Peter refers to the story of Noah to help us make sense of the times in which we live and to assure us that our deliverance is certain. At the same time, this means that judgment of evil is also certain, so we find ourselves in a position of needing to warn those around us to be ready for that day.  Jesus has won, His rule has begun and a time is coming when it will be made complete as he returns to make all things new.

How Should We Respond When People Hurt Us?

How Should We Respond When People Hurt Us?

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As Peter moves back into the subject of suffering he gives us three great principles to keep in mind when people hurt us: 

1. Remember God is close to those who suffer and that He is mighty to save. 
2. Don't respond in kind. Don't return evil for evil, insult for insult. If we do that we destroy the fellowship with God that can sustain us and we frustrate the good work that God intends to perform. 
3. Be ready to share the reason for our hope. 

Our response to suffering proves the reality that our hope is grounded in something bigger than anything of this world. Those around us need that kind of hope too. As an example of these principles Peter refers to an incident in the life of David before he became king of Israel, which is the subject of Psalm 34. It's a great encouragement to all of us and even contains a hint of the greater example who was (at that stage) yet to come - Jesus Christ.

Women of Inner Beauty

Women of Inner Beauty

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As Peter urges Christians to stand firm against their own inner desires and the pressure to conform to an ungodly world so that they may truly live for Christ, he turns his attention to address some of the particular challenges faced by wives. God's instructions regarding submission are read in our culture as unattractive, unfair and abusive; yet when godly leadership and godly submission are understood and practiced they actually unlock tremendous strength and intimacy in marriage as in all the other areas of life in which they are prescribed by God as His pattern for living and relating.

You might like to check out 'The Story of Ian and Larissa' which we viewed beforehand and referred to during the message.  You'll be moved by their journey.
 

Men of Understanding

 
Men of Understanding

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On Father's day we take some time to consider the radical challenges of 1 Peter 3:7. We discover some principles for relationships that are applied in the New Testament to all people as we seek to become more like Jesus, but on several occasions they are applied specifically to husbands. The challenge is to resist our own sinful desires and external pressures in order to become men of understanding who treat wives - and people in general - with respect as co-heirs in God's gracious gift of life.

A People of Purity

A People of Purity

Bad Taste - Good Taste

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1 Peter 2:11-17

27/05/2012

In a world where wealth & comfort are most people's highest priorities, the challenge for Christ's followers is to disprove that idea and to make the message of the Gospel attractive through our conduct. How do we make that which seems good (prosperity) taste bad and make what seems unpalatable (the Gospel) taste good? The answer is in our purity, our humility and our honesty.

A People of Praise

Studies in the Letter of 1 Peter pt 14:

A People of Praise

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1 Peter 2:4-10

What does it mean to be a people of praise?  

If you ask someone what good 'worship' looks like, what sort of responses are you likely to get?

In this passage the Apostle Peter describes Christians collectively in language that is meant to bring to mind the worship of Israel at the temple in Jerusalem.  It is meant to remind us of the mantle that we have inherited of being God's representatives to the world, and why it is that we have inherited that role.  

The forms of worship at the temple continued in full swing as Peter wrote this letter.  The impressive stones still stood.  The physical grandeur of the temple and it's surroundings was still awe-inspiring - in fact the grand improvements by Herod were in their final stages.  The priests were still offering sacrifices, the choirs and orchestras still singing and playing, the massive crowds still attending and participating.

But God had rejected all of it.

Why?

Because they had rejected Him.  Christ had come and had been rejected by those who should have recognised Him.  The One they should have worshipped was instead handed over to be crucified.

The solemn reminder for us is that it is very easy to continue in the forms of worship and think that we are truly worshipping.  It is easy to be a people of music, or of liturgy, or of preaching, or of good works, yet to fail to live up to the calling of being a people of praise, a chosen people and a royal priesthood.

The only way to live up to that calling is for us to keep Christ at the center of who we are and what we do.  When we do that, genuine praise overflows in many different forms that all testify to the majesty and grace of our God to His glory, our enjoyment and the salvation of those who believe.

Crave the Word

Crave the Word

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1 Peter 2:1-3

As we celebrate Mother's Day we are reminded of what the powerful image that God has built into Motherhood as an illustration of how His Children should relate Him. Just as a newborn baby craves his or her mother's milk, so we - as people who have been given new life through the Word - also by nature crave the pure milk of God's Word to sustain and grow that new life. Just as a mother loves to satisfy the cravings of her children so God loves to satisfy the craving of our souls through the intimate connection He shares with us through His Spirit.