1. There is some literature we assign to younger people that is good for them to read but impossible for them to understand. I think many of Shakespeare’s plays fit this category as well as the book of Ecclesiastes. I might even put Peter’s letters in that category. His letters to the young church are written from the perspective of an older and wiser man who has experienced a great deal of suffering before he wrote. Peter could not have written these letters as a young man. 2. In spite of his position in the church and the respect with which he is held he writes this as an appeal…

1.  There are several sub-themes in the passage this morning but they all support the major theme about which Peter is writing the church: the rules of our relationships with people in our lives. This first verse and the final verse serve as book-ends in a way. The term “submit” carries a good deal of baggage and it is oftentimes used to mean “cringe in fear” or be like a broken horse. It is not that at all. It is a military term that means we have a place in our unit where we play a role. Playing that role and accepting the rightful authority of the officer in charge…

These are big themes this morning and they are about the tensions in the life of a Christian. In some ways they reflect the tension in the life of Peter himself – an impetuous firebrand when young and now an older and more moderate leader of the early church. They reflect the tension of the young believers working to figure out their identity. Are they Jewish or Gentile? Should they fight for their freedom as a right or some remain slaves? What is their purpose as a church and believers? When will the Lord return and what should they do between now and then? What is their relationship to corrupt…

1.   Acts 2: “They enjoyed the favor of all the people.” Acts 8 – Stoning of Stephen: “On that day, a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered.” This meant thousands of people left Jerusalem and moved back to their homes after Passover or they fled individually or in groups to places all over Asia Minor. Much like the Mormon migration escaping the persecution in Missouri and other states. No one would have expected a small cult to survive. But they did. 2.  1 Peter 1:1-2 God’s elect. A couple of things are important to understand. John Calvin – To the…

1.  The story might have ended at Chapter 2. “And she lived with her mother-in-law.” But it doesn’t. Four weeks go by and there is some kind of change in Naomi. She is thinking about Ruth and her future instead of her own bitterness and loss. More importantly, she is ready to risk another disappointment. The shift from regret to hope is always huge. The change from self-absorption to risk has long term consequences. 2.  She works out what John Piper calls “strategic righteousness”. It is different from passive righteousness. “By righteousness I mean a zeal for doing what is good and right—a zeal for doing what is appropriate when…

1.  The setting. Another transition in leadership. Think about it as a Western. Wagon Train with Eric Fleming and Clint Eastwood. Strong leaders. Moses and Joshua. Transition to A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Moses and Joshua are gone and the people are on their own. They are separated by distance and vulnerable to attack. It is lawless territory. It is dry, windblown and harsh. They are new arrivals scratching out an existence and subject to oppression from bad guys but incapable of resisting. Out of nowhere comes a deliverer, a flawed hero. He drives out the oppressors, rescues the people and moves on. There is…

1.  Succession plan Moses was the liberator. Joshua was the military leader for conquering the land. There was never any intention to have a leader after that. Everything was to be organized by tribes and local government. No President. No King. No standing national armies. It would be like our having States but no national government. There would be no United States – just States. Some tribes do better than others at driving out the Canaanites. Some have to cooperate with each other and some do it on their own. Some few are unsuccessful and live with the consequences. There is no attempt to form a national effort to drive…

1.  Setting the stage for John. Like reading a biography and creating the context for a life. Born in the Depression. Hoover was President. Many people were out of jobs. Recovering from a war. Politics was unusually depressing. Religious influence was declining. People were discouraged. Waiting for leadership. In the same way, Luke is describing the context for John. Tiberias was the son of Augustus who was declared a god when he died. A hard act to follow and Tiberias had no desire to rule. He had been forced to give up the woman he loved and marry a woman he despised. He thought he could simply delegate everything to…

The Rich and the Kingdom of God 18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.…

1.  There are a number of other references to doors and gates in the New Testament: Matthew 7:13-14: 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Revelation 3:20: 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. John 10:7-10: 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you,…