St John's Parish Church, Lindow http://www.saint-johns.org.uk
The Beginning of Life
Welcome to Alive and Kicking. Over the next ten weeks we will look together at some exciting and relevant truths that are crucial to get on board as early as possible in the Christian life. In the future there will be many distractions that will come your way and so it is essential from the very beginning of the Christian life to know for sure what it is really all about. So with that purpose in mind let’s have a look together at
1 Peter 1:1-9.
A few words of introduction
1:1 Tells us that the letter was sent by Peter. We have already met him in Mark’s gospel. In fact, church tradition would say that Peter is the main source of information for Mark’s gospel (which would certainly explain the number of personal details about Peter that we find).
5:12 Tells us that Peter had the help of someone called Silas when writing the letter.
1:2 There is much debate about who exactly this letter was written to but what we know for sure is that it was a letter written to Christians in the places mentioned in this verse (The debate is about whether they were Jewish or Gentile Christians).
5:12 Tells us that although brief the letter was written to encourage those who read it. And that is something we should bear in mind as we read it to!
A few words of explanation
Please read 1 Peter 1:3-9. When reading the Bible it is always good to note down what is surprising (i.e. what did you not expect to read?) and what you do not understand. Is there anything in this passage that falls into any of those two categories?
What sort of mood is Peter in as he writes this section of the letter? (You may like to look at 1:3; 1:6 and 1:8)
Why should these Christians (and in fact Christians of every age) praise ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’?
What thoughts come into your mind when you hear the phrase ‘new birth’ or ‘born-again’ Christian?
Now to work out what the Bible actually means by this phrase then please look up some of these connected references. John 1:10-13; John 3:1-8; Romans 8:15-17; Ephesians 2:1-5.
There are two implications of this ‘new birth’ mentioned by Peter. As a result of it Christians now have ‘a living hope’ and ‘an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.’
What is the difference between Christian hope and popular hope?
Why do Christians have this ‘living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ’? (See also Romans 6:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
Why do you think Peter says ‘living hope’ rather than just ‘hope’?
(See also 1:21)
Where is our inheritance kept for us? Why is that such a good thing?
When will we receive our inheritance?
(You may like to look at 1:5; 1:7; 1:13; 2:12; 4:7; 4:13; 5:1; 5:4)
What does this imply about this present world that we are living in?
(You may like to look at 1:1; 1:17; 2:11 for some extra help)
What are we promised as we wait for the ‘last time’ to come?
What can we expect in this life as we wait to receive our inheritance?
A few words of application
We can certainly praise God for many things in life. But do take the time to appreciate the many spiritual things he has given to you and praise him for them.
What sort of trials are you facing at the moment? How can these words help you get through them?
A few words of conclusion
Of course this passage teaches us many things about what the Christian life is all about but here are a few key truths to remember from what we have studied tonight: