1 Peter 1:2-9 Encouragement for Christians during Persecution and Trials

Taught last week at my Bible study in NE Glendale, CA. Taught with an emphasis on questions and discussions, interaction with the Bible study:

Link for audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13ONcRKVtPWIJ1ATQZi2dpQ7M4eHYpE1n/view?usp=drivesdk

Lesson Outline:

1 Peter 1:2-9 GNEBS

Teaching Outline (25 minutes) Purpose: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure [by the truth of God’s Word]. To encourage believers to bless the Father, rejoice in their hope, in the midst of persecution and trials. To call unbelievers to turn from their rebellion against God and His people.

Ice Breaker Question: Name, which church/fellowship group do you attend, what are some things you look forward to in heaven?

Prayer

Intro (5 min): Why are Christians persecuted? Because obeying God’s Word causes differences with unbelievers. God’s Commandments will cause us to be at odds against our culture, whether it’s not partaking in their speech or sins, abortion, marriage as given by God.

What a wicked world we live in. The hostility towards Christians had been present since Jesus had come. Several of the apostles had already been killed for the faith. The persecution greatly increased in intensity since Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the fires that swept through Rome. Peter is writing to encourage the Christians scattered through the Dispersion. He knows persecution; His older brother Andrew was beheaded by Herod, and only by a miracle was Peter able to escape the prison. Christians are rejected by Jews for following Jesus, receiving salvation by grace and rejecting works-based righteousness, even changing the day of worship to Sunday. Christians are rejected by Gentiles and Romans, turning away from temples, not bowing down to idols/men, not accepting religious practices. 

Why should you follow Christ if it may cost you everything you have, even your life? How do you encourage Christians who are being persecuted? In verse 2 of the letter Peter reminds us again that we were Chosen and Sanctified for Christ’s Glory. May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

(see notes on Ex. 24:4–8). Sprinkling 

TEXT (1 Peter 1:1-9)

1. Chosen by the Father’s Plan (v. 3-5)

1. According to His great mercy, caused us to be born again

• Why is it mercy? We deserve death, and instead received forgiveness for our sins. 

2. To obtain an inheritance 

• Adopted as sons
• Imperishable, undefiled 
• Kept in heaven 

2. Sanctified by the Spirit’s Help (v. 6-7a)

1. In this you greatly rejoice

2. Though now for a little while

• Necessary 

Heb 11:32-38 Persecution of the Christians

3. So that the proof of your faith

• Assurance of our salvation. Joy in our salvation 
• More precious than gold 
• Even though tested by fire 

3. For Christ’s Glory – (v. 7b-9)

1. May be found to result in praise and glory and honor 

• When He returns

2. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him

• Because He loved us first 

3. Obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls 

Following Christ may lead to our death. Yet, will that not just lead to us receiving the outcome of our faith? Jesus not only died a physical death, but He took on the Father’s wrath and suffered spiritual death so we never have to.

V 11 Sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow

Gospel Call

“As Christians are being persecuted, do not pity ourselves. We are not the ones going against God. The people persecuting God’s people and living as slaves to sin are the ones to be most pitied. If you continue in your sins, there will only be God’s wrath to look forward to.

Conclusion (1 Peter 5:10-11) “After you have suffered for a little while…”

Discussion

a poem for His Majesty

Learning‌ ‌about‌ ‌Psalms‌ ‌yesterday,‌ ‌I‌ ‌got‌ ‌to‌ ‌write‌ ‌an‌ ‌acrostic‌ ‌poem‌ ‌to‌ ‌our‌ ‌King.‌ ‌I‌ ‌pray‌ ‌that‌ ‌it‌ ‌would‌ ‌encourage‌ ‌many‌ ‌and‌ ‌save‌ ‌some,‌ ‌as‌ ‌God‌ ‌has‌ ‌done‌ ‌for‌ ‌me‌ ‌too.‌

a poem for His Majesty,

Almighty Father
Blessed Holy Spirit, and
Christ our King

all the world will one day
bend the knee to
Christ, the King
do not be wise in your own eyes
everything you are, and have, is from His hands

fall on your face
give God (YHWH) the glory due His Name
His patience towards you, His enemy, may end today
i, but dust, have no right to tell you how to live
Jesus Christ (Messiah), Your Creator, commands you to live

King of kings, Lord of lords
left His heavenly Throne above
made human through the Virgin Birth
not to be served, but to serve
one life sacrificed, so many more would be saved

pierced on the cross, dying for our sins
quietly was buried, the Lamb Who was slain
rose from the dead on the third day
sin, Satan, and self defeated
the King will return, He has promised it

ungodly and unfaithful one, do you not understand?
victory over death cannot come from your own hands
worship God alone, call on His Name
Χριστός, Christ, Messiah
Yēsū (耶穌), He alone can save
Zion, His Beloved Bride, forever with Him to reign

Almighty Father
Blessed Holy Spirit, and
Christ our King
Draw near to us today

God has given us words, so that we could know Him in His Word. Pray, ask for wisdom, and He will give it to you. Treasure His Bible. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you.

From the book of Romans, chapter 10, verses 5 to 17:

“5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[c] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Why Seminary? Why Pursue the Ministry?

Question: Please state why you want to attend The Master’s Seminary and your ministry goals: 

I want to attend The Master’s Seminary to know God more and learn how to make Him known more clearly. Before going to Grace Community Church in 2014 I thought I knew God, that He is holy and I am a sinner. Sitting under the teaching at GCC these last five years has brought me to salvation, then to more understanding of how little I know God and the depth of my sin. I want to attend The Master’s Seminary to learn how to pray, study the Bible, be discipled, disciple others, preach the truth accurately and with love, follow Christ from the godly men who serve here and be equipped to preach and shepherd the flock at a local church. Though I can learn much of the same theology and read the same books without attending the seminary, there are many things that self-study cannot teach, one being the godly examples of the faculty and other seminary students in how they live as Christians. I want to learn personally from these men in the faculty, to fellowship with these men and live life with them, learning not only from their lectures but also from how they live for Christ at church, among their families and on the mission field. 

I want to learn how to study the Bible, apply it, and teach others to know God and live by it. Most people in our day and age, even in America, know very little to nothing about the true God of the Bible and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Even much of teaching in the evangelical Christian churches today focus on improving the moral state of man but deal nothing with man’s sinful state against God and His coming judgment for sinners. I want to learn how to study God’s Word as accurately as possible through learning the original languages of the Bible manuscripts and learning hermeneutics from those who have spent decades faithfully studying and teaching Scripture.

At GCC I have had the privilege of spending time with godly older men in the Men of the Word Men’s ministry. I would like to continue to be mentored by these godly men and learn how to disciple other men so that I would be useful to the men’s ministry at whichever local church God calls me to serve at. At GCC God has brought older saints into my life through the Sunday Afternoon Prayer Group who have been teaching me what it means to entrust to God all things, from the weather to the government to one another’s personal requests. I want to continue learning how to pray from them and with them. 

If this choice was just my own, that would not be enough of a reason to justify pursuing the ministry. Over the past few years the Lord has given me various opportunities to preach: a short exhortation to the men at the Men of the Word 2019 Winter Fellowship, the gospel message at the Filipino Outreach’s Annual Spring Event in 2017, monthly opportunities to preach at my friend’s college group at a church in Highland Park, and other opportunities at the Assisted Living Home ministry and the Anchored Burbank Bible study, where the Lord has graciously given me dear brothers and sisters to run the race with the last two years. At the exhortation of my Men of the Word pastor, Bible study leaders, and various other godly men and women from GCC, I will apply again to the Master’s Seminary with the hope that this sinner would have the privilege to be trained and called to be a preacher of His gospel.

I plan to serve as a pastor after graduating in a local church, whether in America or overseas. I firmly believe the great need of our nation today is more true preachers and pastors here in the States. Yet, as the Lord wills; if overseas, this would most likely be in China or Taiwan due to my Taiwanese heritage and fluency in Mandarin Chinese.

Question: Have you ever been refused admission, had your enrollment suspended or terminated, or been asked to withdraw by any college, seminary, graduate, or professional school? 

I had applied to The Master’s Seminary for the Spring 2018 semester and had my application rejected on the basis of my pride and failure to submit to authority during the 2017 Hong Kong STM. Since then the Lord has been teaching me that all authority is given by Him, and I have been learning to humbly and joyfully submit to authority, whether church or secular, even when I disagree with them. The Lord has also been helping me to see more of my sin and teaching me how to repent and pursue righteousness through Biblical Counseling from Grace Community Church, which has been ongoing since July 2019.

Fun Coronavirus hymn lyrics

Great new hymn lyrics from a brother at church for our current situation. “Our God is still in control!”

Short Exhortation on 1 John 3:1a

Back in December 2019, I had the privilege to give a 10 minute exhortation to brothers in our Men of the Word Men’s Fellowship group.

Part 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14BGNuCjvLH7q0z6KZvl16e_OrKRNhMl5/view?usp=sharing

Part 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14PdUIgf0TDQ86bfhQRVEotIaJLya__xt/view?usp=sharing

Exhortation Outline (10 minutes) 

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.” – 1 John 3:1a

1-2 min  Christians will face increasing trials, temptations and persecution, especially from those who claim to be Christians. In the midst of this, the apostle John encourages the Christians to look to the great love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God. Let us look at John’s life, how God’s love was bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God, because of the Father’s great love.

3-4 min Undeserved, “bestowed” 

– Fisherman

– Son of Thunder (Luke 9)

– Proud, self-seeking (Luke 9, with mother and James)

– Grumble against Jesus (money, death) 

– Deserter (John 18)

5-8 min unconditional, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God” , Beloved, Child of God”

– Called to be a disciple, child of God, to know Jesus, the Christ

– Son of God became Son of Man

– Separated from His Beloved Son, taking on John’s sin (humbled Himself to the cross) (entrusted with Jesus’ mother)

– Victory in resurrection

– Apostle of love, 

– inspired by Holy Spirit to write 5 books of the Bible

– Lived for Christ, carried his cross

 – Assurance and power by the Holy Spirit

9-10 min “and such we are”

Beloved Christian, John’s story of failure and victory is our story, We were wretched sinners, saved by Jesus’ death and empowered by the Holy Spirit to love as God has first loved us, as children of God. The Spirit testifies that we are children of God. 

• Father disciplines those He loves 

In the midst of your trials, temptations and persecution, look to Christ. Look to the love of our Father. What a privilege, to pray “Our Father.” The world hates us because it hated Christ first. Look to the Spirit our Father has given to us. Look around you tonight. People of every nation and tongue, graciously called to be children of God. And not just called, but we are. One day every nation, every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord. Is He your Lord? Look to Christ alone for your salvation, for He alone is the true God and eternal life.

This Christmas as you look at the infant in the manger, remember the great love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.