“A Living Hope” Week 1
Introduction
Simon Peter was one of the most fascinating characters in the Bible. He was a fisherman who became a disciple of Jesus, who was then hugely instrumental in leading the early church. He is mentioned in the Gospels more than anyone else other than Jesus Himself. He often put his foot in his mouth (Jesus once called him “Satan”), he publicly denied knowing Jesus when He was taken to be killed, but he was also the one who initially tried to defend Jesus with a sword when He was being taken. He was also the only one who walked on water with Jesus. Jesus committed Peter personally with feeding His sheep before He ascended into heaven, and Peter was chosen to be the first Christian evangelist on the day the Holy Spirit was given, as he preached to thousands of people in Jerusalem. Later he also became the first to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.
But with all Peter’s highs and lows, the thing that maybe stands out the most about him is that he is real. You never had to wonder what he was thinking. He might offend you at times, and he was far from perfect, but he didn’t beat around the bush, and he didn’t leave you guessing. With Peter, what you see is what you get. And that makes him a refreshing character. And in the midst of reality, Peter never gave up hope. We need his reality and hope today.
Peter wrote this book of First Peter probably more than 30 years after Jesus ascended. It reflects decades of experience as a leader in the church. Paul was likely already dead by this time, after having written probably 14 books of the New Testament and having established churches throughout Asia Minor and Greece. Now Peter is writing to a church that is in crisis. Persecution is spreading throughout the Roman Empire and the Christians are being scattered. These were difficult times. And when you find yourself in difficult times, and your beliefs are increasingly contrary to modern culture, and you are being blamed for everything that’s wrong in the world, it really helps to get some real talk from a real person who’s seen a lot, will tell it like it is, and can help you find a reason for hope.
Peter is a voice we need today. As we are surrounded by a collapsing culture, and we see even those who claim to follow Jesus imitating the phoniness of the world, Peter gives us a perspective we need. We need hope more than ever before. Lots of people offer hope that isn’t based in reality. They tell us what we want to hear but offer a short term hope based on delusions. So let’s spend the next ten weeks listening and learning from the real Peter, telling us about a genuine living hope.
| 1. | Jan 26 | Our Rich Inheritance 1:1-12 |
| 2. | Feb 2 | Living Up to Our Inheritance 1:13-25 |
| 3. | Feb 9 | His Own Special People 2:1-12 |
| 4. | Feb 16 | Treat People with Honor 2:13-25 |
| 5. | Feb 23 | Godliness at Home 3:1-12 |
| 6. | Feb 28 | Godliness in the World 3:13-22 |
| 7. | Mar 2 | Living for Others 4:1-11 |
| 8. | Mar 9 | When We Suffer 4:12-19 |
| 9. | Mar 16 | Being the Church 5:1-7 |
| 10. | Mar 23 | Growing Strong Through Adversity 5:8-14 |
January 26, 2023
Week One
“Our Rich Inheritance”
1 Peter 1:1-12
Vs. 1-2 Our identity- pilgrims disbursed but chosen by a Triune God.
Vs. 3-5 Our hope is in our inheritance
Vs. 6-8 Trials test our joy
Vs. 9-12 We are a fulfillment of prophecy
Discussion Questions
- When in your life have you felt most like a pilgrim? Like you didn’t really fit in?
- How does being rejected by others give us more of an appreciation that we were chosen by God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and Jesus?
- What have you inherited in your life? How did it affect you, positively and negatively?
- What will you inherit from God? What does that mean to you now?
- Have you ever seen someone go through trials and maintain their joy?
- Have you ever gone through a trial that sucked the joy right out of you? If so, how did you recover?
- What would we become if our joy was never tested, and we never went through trials?
- How does it make you feel to know that you are personally a fulfillment of God’s divine plan throughout history?
Memory Verse: Print 1 Peter 1:13 below. Underline and define all the keywords.